Dependence of the nonlinear electrical behavior of SnO2-based varistors on Cr2O3 addition

Tin dioxide varistors doped with Coo, ZnO, Ta2O5 and Cr2O3 were prepared by the mixed oxide method. Temperature dependent impedance spectroscopy revealed two different activation energies, one at low frequencies and the other at high frequencies. These activation energies were associated with the adsorption and reaction of O-2 species at the grain boundary interface. We show that Cr2O3 improves the varistor properties, generating sites for the adsorption of O' and O at the grain boundary region. The O' and O defects are truly responsible for the barrier formation at the grain boundary interface. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

Effect of 4 mass% Ag addition on the thermal behavior of the Cu-9 mass% Al alloy

The effect of 4 mass% Ag addition on the thermal behavior of the Cu-9 mass% Al alloy was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The results showed that the presence of silver causes (Cu)-alpha+(alpha+gamma1)-->(Cu)-alpha+beta transformation to occur in two stages. In the first one, part of the produced beta phase combines with the precipitated Ag to give a silver-rich phase and in the second one the transformation is completed. The formation of this silver-rich phase seems to be enhanced at very low cooling rates.

Biomimetic apatite formation on Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) using modified biomimetic solution

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Ageing behavior in the Cu-10 wt.%Al and Cu-10 wt.%Al-4 wt.%Ag alloys

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Thermal behavior of cellulose acetate produced from homogeneous acetylation of bacterial cellulose

Cellulose acetate (CA) is one of the most important cellulose derivatives and its main applications are its use in membranes, films, fibers, plastics and filters. CAs are produced from cellulose sources such as: cotton, sugar cane bagasse, wood and others. One promissory source of cellulose is bacterial cellulose (BC). In this work, CA was produced from the homogeneous acetylation reaction of bacterial cellulose. Degree of substitution (DS) values can be controlled by the acetylation time. The characterization of CA samples showed the formation of a heterogeneous structure for CA samples submitted to a short acetylation time. A more homogeneous structure was produced for samples prepared with a long acetylation time. This fact changes the thermal behavior of the CA samples. Thermal characterization revealed that samples submitted to longer acetylation times display higher crystallinity and thermal stability than samples submitted to a short acetylation time. The observation of these characteristics is important for the production of cellulose acetate from this alternative source. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical and theoretical evaluation of the interaction between dna and amodiaquine: evidence of the guanine adduct formation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Electrochemical behavior of metallic chromium in chloride media

The electrochemical behavior of metallic chromium in aqueous solutions containing chloride ions at different pH was studied by means of open-circuit potential vs. time measurements, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The composition of the surface oxides was analyzed by XPS. For solutions with pH<3 the formation of a passive layer occurs via a dissolution/precipitation process while for pH>3 the mechanism changes. XPS analysis revealed that Cr2O3 basically constitutes the passive layer.

Thermal behavior of the Cu-10 mass%Al and Cu-10 mass%Al-4 mass%Ag alloys

The thermal behavior of the Cu-10 mass%Al and Cu-10 mass% Al-4 mass%Ag alloys was studied using classical differential thermal analysis (DTA), optical microscopy (OM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The DTA curves were obtained for annealed and quenched samples. The results indicated that the presence of silver introduces new thermal events, associated to the formation of a silver-rich phase, to the shift of the equilibrium concentration to higher A1 contents and to the decomposition of the silver-rich phase in the same temperature range of the beta(1) phase decomposition.

Study of potassium additive on the phase formation and ferroelectric properties of 0.9PMN-0.1PT ceramics

A recent and innovative method to include Ti into the columbite precursor has permitted to synthesize 0.9PMN-0.1PT powders with high homogeneity. The present work describes this methodology, named modified columbite method, showing that the reaction between MN(T)and PbO at 800 degrees C for 2 h results in perovskite single-phase. The crystal structure alterations in the columbite and perovskite phases obtained by this methodology and the effects of potassium doping were investigated by the Rietveld method. Changes in the powder morphology, density and weight loss during the sintering process were also studied. Conclusively, potassium does not affect significantly the perovskite amount, but reduces the particle and grain sizes. This dopant also changes the relaxor behavior of 0.9PMN-0.1 PT ceramic, reducing the dielectric loss and enhancing the diffuseness of the phase transition. (C) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd and Techna Gronp S.r.l.

Electrochemical behavior of the N-nosyl-protected amino acids in N,N-dimethylformamide

The electrochemical reduction of serine, glycine, and leucine protected by the 4-nitrobenzenesulfonyl, group in N,N-dimethylformamide at mercury cathode occurs at two steps. The first one at -0.8 V vs. SCE, after a one-electron transfer, leads the anion radical formation that dimerizes and adsorbs at electrode. In the second step at -1.4 V, an instable dianion forms which then cleaves. The mechanism is discussed.

Photoluminescent behavior of SrBi2Nb2O9 powders explained by means of beta-Bi2O3 phase

Photoluminescence (PL) behavior of SrBi2Nb2O9 (SBN) powders was explained by means of beta-Bi2O3 phase on the SBN lattice. Oxygen vacancies and recombination of electrons holes in the valence band lead to the formation of [NbO5 center dot V-O(x)], [NbO5 center dot V-O(center dot)] and [NbO5 center dot V-O(center dot center dot)] complex clusters which are the main reason for the PL at room temperature. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy were used as tools to investigate the structural changes in SBN lattice allowing to correlate [NbO5 center dot V-O(center dot)]/[NbO6](') ratio with the evolution of the visible PL emission in the SBN powders. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

Magnetic behavior of interstitial Fe impurities in divalent Ca, Sr, and Yb hosts

We have used a first-principles real-space approach to investigate the electronic structure and the magnetic behavior of interstitial Fe impurities in divalent Ca, Sr, and Yb hosts. The dependence of the local moment as a function of lattice relaxation around the impurity is obtained and contrasted with that of interstitial Fe in trivalent and tetravalent Zr, Y, Ti, and Sc hosts. The trends obtained for local moment formation at the impurity site an in agreement with experimental time-differential perturbed gamma-ray angular distribution technique observations.

Influence of silver additions on the thermal behavior of the Cu-8 mass% Al alloy

The influence of additions of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mass% Ag on the thermal behavior of the Cu-8 mass% Al alloy was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The results indicate that the presence of silver introduces new thermal events, due to the formation of a silver-rich phase and, for additions of 10 and 12 mass% Ag, it is possible to verify the formation of the gamma (1) phase (Cu9Al4) and the metastable transitions which are only observed in alloys with a minimum of 9 mass% Al.

Spectroscopic investigation and thermal behavior of new carbonyl complexes [M(CO)(4)(N-N)(CuX)], (M = W, Mo; N-N=2,2 '-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline; X = Cl, SCN)

M(CO)(4)(N-N)] reacts with CuCl to give new heterobimetallic metal carbonyls of the type [M(CO)(4)(N-N)(CuCl)], M = W, Mo; N-N = 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen). Reactions of [M(CO)(4)(N-N)(CuCl)] with NaSCN produced the series of complexes of general formula [M(CO)(4)(N-N)(CuSCN)]. The i.r. spectral of all the bimetallic carbonyls exhibited the general four m ( CO) band patterns of the precursors. The u.v.-vis. spectral data for precursors and products showed bands associated with pi --> pi* (nitrogen ligands), d-->d (intrametal), as well as MLCT d-->pi* (nitrogen ligands) and MLCT d --> pi*(CO) transitions. The [M(CO)(4)(N-N)(CuX)] (X = Cl, SCN) emission spectra showed only one band associated with the MLCT transition. The t.g. curves revealed a stepwise loss of CO groups. The initial decomposition temperatures of the [M(CO)(4)(N-N)(CuX)] series suggest that the bimetallic compounds are indeed thermally less stable than their precursors, and the X- ray data showed the formation of MO3, CuMO4, Cu2O and CuO as final decomposition products, M = W, Mo. The spectroscopic data suggests that the heterobimetallic compounds are polymeric.

Gamma phases in Cu-Al alloys and the influence of a square shaped phase in the electrochemical behavior of a Cu-13.6wt% Al alloy

The electrochemical behavior of Cu-xAl alloys, with 11 wt%less than or equal to x less than or equal to 15wt%, in 0.5 M H2SO4 was studied by means of open-circuit potential decay measurements, quasi-stationary and fast cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Some of the alloys (x less than or equal to 14%), when quenched formed martensitic structures. Alloys with greater than or equal to 13% showed a little square-shaped phase when quenched from temperatures around 800 degrees C. It was observed that in sulfuric medium, these formations were dealuminized differently than the martensitic phase. The values of the rest potentials are more influenced by the heat treatment rather than by the alloy composition. An anodic Tafel slope of ca. 60 mV/decade was observed for all the alloys, independently of the heat treatment. This is explained in terms of a competition between two processes: copper oxidation and copper(I) deproportionation. In the cyclic voltammetric experiments it was observed an anodic current peak, related with copper oxidation with a possible formation of some interfacial species, and a cathodic current peak during the reverse potential scan, associated with the reduction of soluble species and/or of the film. The AC Impedance data were interpreted in terms of electric equivalent circuits.